Firesong chuckled "Of course it's wise to have those two over. I don't see their relationship so much as Art poking the bear, more of them bickering like an old married couple. And they'd make an adorable old married couple. I just intend on nudging them in that direction a tiny bit."

"As for the students, they aren't my students, they're Pastry Flour's students. Flour wanted them to get more experience with cooking for audiences outside of the campus, but within a safe distance. I said I'd love the chance and paid for the ingredients and slipped the students a little on the side. It's for a good cause and I don't have to cook. Win win."

Gem blinked for a moment as he heard Fire describe the two co-workers relationship, or at least how they treated one another. "I...um, alright well I think it might be wise to put a bit of a fire resistance spell on the furniture for the evening. Just to be safe." the doctor concluded. He had seen how those two acted around one another, more he knew how Art acted around the dragon and in his experience, being ready for a dragon's breath was never something you should be ashamed to prepare for.

"Well I guess that's alright, if Flour's alright with it. Ah, wait should I go out and get some sparkling cider or grape juice? I mean well drinking for two and all. I don't want to think that you'd be stuck on just water for the evening." Gem answered, "Oh and if the students are playing chef and possibly waiter, probably won't need to hide the liquor cabinet this time." He couldn't lie, talking about it made him feel, a tad excited for the evening, possible chance to see dragon's breath again, no need to do clean up and good food and good company. "Oh Philosopher will be so happy to see Kerrigan again."

Firesong nodded "I agree about the fire resistant spell, though less for dragon fire and more to make sure that nothing happens if a candle gets knocked over. Or dragon's breath. Or another visitor from another dimension coming through the window. You never know what to expect around here."

"And if you go out sparkling cider would be good. I don't want to risk anything tonight by drinking anything stronger than that and having something other than water to drink might make my reasons for avoiding those perfectly matched wines a little less glaringly obvious. Though even if our little secret does come out I don't think anyone here tonight would spread gossip, even Art knows better than that."

She thought for a second. "Oh, and while you're out get Philosopher some catnip. I think Kerrigan would like at least some kitty free time while we eat and I'd rather him not howl if we put him in Prism's room."

"Sparkling Cider for you, cat nip for Philosopher, sot for the spell, and maybe extra padlocks for the basement just in case." The doctor mumbled as he finished his breakfast, taking his dishes back to the kitchen. "Okay I think I got all that. Anything else while I'm gone?" He asked, moving towards the door, "A fine book for the study, fresh flowers, chocolates or an album from a much loved musical perhaps?" the unicorn continued as he reached the door, opening it to the outside world, he gave a soft chuckle, he couldn't remember when the cravings began but at least now he could once again give Fire a touch of a hard time for the weird foods she will ask for sooner or later

Firesong snickered. "Whatever looks good to you, dear. Chocolate is always appreciated as is music, but I think I'll have plenty of both tonight at dinner." she said as she fluttered over to her husband and gave him a kiss on the tip of his horn. "Thanks for making the trip. Every little thing makes the night go by smoother"

~~~~~~~

Several hours later Firesong stood waiting at the door adorned in a cocktail dress and smelling the amplified scents of good food as she welcomed her guests into her home.

Kerrigan appeared in a burst of flame on the sidewalk in front of the Shard household. She likely could have teleported onto the front porch, but that seemed rude to simply appear on somepony else's property. She was dressed about as casually as it was possible for her to be- which here meant that she wasn't wearing a suit, but rather a dress, slim and close fitting, with a slit that ran to just above her knee so she could actually walk in it. Firesong's invitation had specified that this was an examination of sorts for the Culinary Arts students, and the intent was to imitate the environment of a fine dining establishment. Kerrigan had decided that in order to better simulate such an environment, more feminine- yet still clearly formal- attire would be more appropriate.

It was strange, really, to invite her to a culinary event. Her species was not known for their discerning palates- gemstones excluded. Perhaps, then, it was for reasons other than taste- presentation, or efficiency, or etiquette. Since she could not be distracted by cuisine- most of which she likely would not really be able to taste- it made a strange sort of sense. Kerrigan flicked her tongue out to taste the air as she approached the house- there were already quite a few ponies present, and not just ponies, either. There was something familiar there too, obscured by a medley of other lingering scents and tastes. No sense keeping them waiting, then. The invitation had said 7:00 pm, and it was currently 6:52. But if there were already guests present, there was no need to wait another eight minutes.

Kerrigan strode up to the front door and rang the doorbell. "Hello, Firesong, doctor Shard, it was kind of you to invite me. I must apologize, I did not bring a bottle of wine. I thought it best, in light of students being present, to forgo the usual offer-" Kerrigan said, as the door opened. The familiar taste on the evening's crisp air became immediately apparent, as she saw a pair of curved horns behind Firesong, towards the kitchen. That could only have been Artemius. Kerrigan assumed Culinary Arts must have fallen under his purview- though in reality, she was not sure it did. She made a mental note to ask him if the chance should arise. "I must say, this will be a welcome respite from the unfortunate events on campus recently. Though I must confess, I am curious as to why you extended an invitation to me. Culinary arts are somewhat mysterious to me, since my physiology in regards to tastes is far more limited."

Scarlet looked herself over in the mirror for the tenth time, at least. The dress that Firesong had so kindly picked out for her fit clingy, and closer than Scarlet would have liked; a simple one shouldered number, reminiscent of the Prohibition era, the color of oxygen deficient veinous blood paired with a necklace with the golden laurels that ran in her family. She chuffed to herself in disapproval, but knew she couldn't bear to disappoint her dear friend. She would wear the dress, go to the dinner party, and hopefully make it home in time for a good night's sleep.

Scarlet cast one more scowl at herself in the mirror, and walked out her apartment door, and headed straight to the nearest bakery. Despite her tough demeanor, and her military bars and stars, she had been raised polite, and knew it was customary to bring something to a dinner party. She carefully selected a carrot cake that looked moist enough, paid for it, and set out on her way.

As she arrived on her friend's doorstep, a momentary flash of panic washed over her. This was a party. She didn't do parties. Her hand raised slowly of it's own accord, the cake swinging in the bag hung from her elbow, and knocked at the door, looking for all the world like a rabbit caught in the headlights. As soon as the door opened, she slipped inside, swallowing down her nerves and placing the cake on a counter in one fell movement."I apologize if I'm late." She said cordially, offering no further explanation. She fidgeted a bit, trying no to seem visibly uncomfortable in the presence of fellow professors and students. "I brought a cake." She said, pointing out the obvious as it was clear to her she had no idea what to talk about. This was very different than the dinner parties she had grown up with, full of stuffy, wealthy adults discussing their yachts or vacations.

Getting back to the house after running his various errands, Doc had very little time to finish up preparations before the guests for the evening began to arrive.

The first to make it was Art unbelievably. He usually liked to be one of the more casually late, but oddly enough he was the first at the door. "Ah, Art welcome to our abode. Fire is with the kitchen going over everything with the students. She'll be out shortly."

"Ah thank you, thank you doctor. Always nice to come to your lovely home." the minotaur replied, taking off his coat, hanging it on a nearby hook as the took in a deep breath, just like last time everything seem so balanced in the home. He couldn't help but think this was largely Fire's doing over the enchanters. Orderly as he was, Art had been to Gem's office, the orderly unfortunately ended with his documents. Looking the doctor over, the minotaur reviewed himself, while the unicorn was in a jacket, he himself only a t-shirt and jeans. "Oh, I'm sorry did I under dress? I thought it was just a dinner, not like a full dinner party like jackets and all. But saying it out loud, yeah probably should have realized."

"No no it's fine Art, really, this is an event for friends. Not some big gathering for faculty."

"Hehe, alright, fine, fine. Now what is that delicious aroma!" Art asked, moving into the kitchen, happy to see the culinary students hard at work. Outside, he heard the door open once again and a very familiar voice, following Firesong into the main room, he couldn't help but grin as he saw Kerrigan in a dress of all things.

"Ah Kerrigan no worries no worries," the doctor began, offering the dragon a seat, "wine is optional this evening and its really up to the students to figure out which goes with the meal. It's been such a hard weekend, for us all Fire and I thought it best to invite friends slow down before tomorrow and enjoy the company of our friends. That and for the culinary students to have the ability to prepare for as many different possible species they may come across when they go out into this world of ours."

Hearing a knock at the door, Gem opened, greeting the next guest, "Ms.Scarlet so glad you could join us, Ah cake wonderful! Here let me get that we can put it in the kitchen for later. You make yourself at home! Drinks are at the bar, appetizers on the table and well, anything else you need just ask."

All the while, Art couldn't help but approach Kerrigan, "You in a dress, now I think I've seen just about everything. Though I must say it does break up the image of stern and immovable wall rather nicely." the minotaur grinned

Kerrigan's tongue flicked out reflexively at the mention of cake. From the scent, it was likely a carrot cake- her favorite. Not that she could taste it much, but it was the textures she enjoyed. The moist cake, the crunchy nuts within it, the stringy bits of carrot, and the smoothness of the icing. There was a lot to experience, even without flavor. Her nictitating membranes began to creep over her eyes, but she reigned in her reflexes and pushed them back out of her vision. "Hello, Scarlet. You are looking quite well. How have you been?" she asked, making her way towards the appetizers. They smelled intriguing, particularly the stuffed bean buns. One of the few flavors she could truly experience, the earthiness of bean paste was something she was quite fond of. The stickiness of the bun itself, too, and the smoothness of the bean paste- with just a hint of texture- made them one of her favorite foods. She casually plucked one of the platter and popped it in her mouth. It was splendid, the culinary students who had crafted it had learned well. "I am not particularly comfortable in this setting, either, if that helps put you at ease."

Kerrigan did not reflexively stiffen at Art's words, as that would require not being stiff already. "I am attempting to come out of my comfort zone for the sake of educating the culinary arts students. I feel validated in knowing that I have done so with such effect," Kerrigan said, popping another bean bun. "It would not do to have everypo- everyone know what to expect from me all time. It is... a strategic decision, as it were," she added, grabbing a beverage from the bar. It was a subconscious decision, but one sip, and she was so stunned as to almost drop her glass. "Tell me, Artemius, how much do you know about the curriculum these students have been studying? I find it an odd coincidence that they just so happened to have thought to make Draconic style Colloidal Gold Tea? It is not something commonly found in Equestria, and difficult to prepare. I am, begrudgingly, impressed," she said, sipping the tea. She turned to look Artemius in the eye. "It is also very interesting that it is my most favorite tea, and that in all of Equestria the only living things to know that fact besides myself are my Bonsai... and you," she added, taking another sip. "What an interesting and fortuitous coincidence, I'm sure," she added, giving the barest hint of a smile.

She finished her tea, and ran a finger across the carafe, resisting the urge to pour another glass. "You have quite a remarkable memory, or I am extraordinarily lucky," she said, taking a slow breath and sitting down on one of the mahogany barstools. "I can see my apprehensions were unfounded, at least. I was concerned that my presence was out of place, given that my physiology does not experience taste that way mammalians do. It is not often that I a wrong."

Firesong went over to the bar and came back into the middle of her guests with a tray holding light cocktails, mixed by herself, not the students. "The culinary arts students are taught the foods of many cultures, the school just recently added a class on the foods of your people Kerrigan, and I believe that the student that made that tea is in it. I heard from a certain someone that you liked it so I mentioned that now might be a good time for her to practice her skills. I'm sorry that dragonish food won't be something featured prominently on today's menu, it's mostly Prench inspired tonight. Dragonish food smells wonderful, but the tastes don't seem to agree with that of most pony's pallets, even if there is much about texture that our students must learn from your culture, Kerrigan."

She set the tray on a small table near the bar and took the cake from Scarlett. "Please, sit, make yourselves comfortable, have a drink, but not too much, the students matched the wines to each course perfectly and I insist that you try them all. Unfortunatly as the hostess I will not be partaking, I'd rather not have Kerrigan be teleporting while intoxicated, someone might loose a limb. Best save myself for driving if needed. Scarlet, than you for the cake. You really didn't have to, but it smells wonderful and will be greatly enjoyed at the end of our meal."

Scarlet let out a sigh of relief as both Doc and Firesong spoke to her. It was soothing to see her old friend being chipper as always. "It was no trouble, Fire, really." She said, her shoulders loosening a bit. She lifted her nose and smelled the air, and it did indeed smell amazing. "The students really outdid themselves tonight."As the dragon Dean acknowledged her, she turned her gaze and nodded to Hannibal, "Fine, as always, Kerrigan. Mildly uncomfortable, but fine. I have never really been one for parties, but I knew I'd never hear the end of it if I declined." She said with a shrug, slipping her jacket off and handing it to a nearby student. She glanced around the room briefly, "Just you, me, Fire, Doc and Art tonight? I could have sworn she'd invite more people. It's not like Firesong to invite so few."

"Getting out of your comfort zone, I like it. It suits you." Art smiled taking a sip of his own beverage. Water, he hadn't been going for anything special. Mainly because he hadn't yet taught any traditional minotaur drinks to the class yet. Though he was excited to show them how to properly brew Minotaur Bearberry Wine. " Oh I wouldn't say I know that much about most culinary traditions, to be fair some of the only hands on experience I have with the culinary preferences when it refers to dragons come from you and what we've talked about. But all in all I'm glad the students performed to the best of their abilities to impress you."

Sitting down next to the dragoness, Art gave a smile, "Well in that case it might be fortuitous, for all of us to understand how it is that you and your kind experience taste. After all it seems we seemed to have merely gotten lucky on our first attempt. We should want to add consistence to what we got right."

"Getting out of your comfort zone, I like it. It suits you." Art smiled taking a sip of his own beverage. Water, he hadn't been going for anything special. Mainly because he hadn't yet taught any traditional minotaur drinks to the class yet. Though he was excited to show them how to properly brew Minotaur Bearberry Wine. " Oh I wouldn't say I know that much about most culinary traditions, to be fair some of the only hands on experience I have with the culinary preferences when it refers to dragons come from you and what we've talked about. But all in all I'm glad the students performed to the best of their abilities to impress you."

Sitting down next to the dragoness, Art gave a smile, "Well in that case it might be fortuitous, for all of us to understand how it is that you and your kind experience taste. After all it seems we seemed to have merely gotten lucky on our first attempt. We should want to add consistence to what we got right."

Kerrigan paused. No one had ever asked her such a question before. Part of her wanted to refuse, as knowing more about her kind would tell them more about her, and that could possibly reveal a weakness to be exploited that she was not entirely aware of even having. There was also a bit of the paranoia her peopled had a tendency toward. why would anypony want to know how she experienced taste, anyway? Idle curiosity did not seem a satisfactory answer. She pondered the request, analyzing what possible benefit knowing her dietary physiology could possibly confer- and nothing came to mind. there was no possible benefit to any of them.

Which begged the question- how does one describe a sensory experience to those who cannot possibly experience it? It would be like describing color to the blind. Mammals regulated their own body temperature, entirely on involuntary organ systems. How to explain, then, that a cup of hot tea quite literally fired her up? Or that she could more easily recognize their scent than their faces? It was a daunting task... made more so by her reluctance to go through with it.

"I am not accustomed to discussing my physiology, but if it will serve to assist in the education of students, then I will certainly oblige," Kerrigan said, finishing her tea. "Dragons lack the variety and precision of mammalian taste buds. We can detect sweetness or savory, but not in the variety that mammals can. Your kind experiences a far greater capacity for number and intensity of flavors. Our limited physiology regarding flavor makes it more of a... curiosity, than a goal. Texture is far more important- our biology requires large amounts of minerals, which is why we are so fond of gems. As minerals have a variety of textures- hardness, crystal size and structure, calving, etc, our physiology is more attuned to detecting these differences- and that has led to our cultural preference for texture over flavor. It is vital to consume sufficient minerals to maintain our scales and enable a healthy molting. Thus, our cuisine revolves around methods of supplying sufficient minerals for our physiological demands. The rest is merely the vessel by which said demands are met," Kerrigan said, trying to explain as best she could. "Texture is the primary measure of how we experience cuisine. Texture tells us everything we need to know- the nutritional value and variety of minerals can be determined via texture. Flavors can be influenced or altered or overpowered- for example, adding cumin can greatly alter the inherent flavor of whatever it is added to. But no amount of cumin will alter the nutritional or mineral content of a meal," she said.

"Temperature is another key factor. My kind, being cold blooded, must regulate our body temperature through external sources. A hot cup of tea will quite literally wake us up, or a cool drink at night will put us to sleep. This particular tea is highly prized, due to the suspension of microscopic metal particles that retain additional heat from the water. It serves to quickly activate us, as it were, almost like flicking a light switch. There are other beverages that do this, but gold is very inert, it is unlikely to react chemically with anything. Other minerals can be dangerous when reduced to such tiny particles," Kerrigan said. It was a challenge, trying to explain the biological imperatives that drove the development of her kind's culinary culture. "My kind are very fond of teas as a nutrition supplement of sorts, as the heat of the teas serves to bolster our metabolism, and the teas themselves contain antioxidants and other micronutrients. I myself am fond as it also puts students at ease. Best of both worlds."